“There you go, thinkin’ again.” He flashed a smile. “But I don’t blame you. I would’ve thought the same thing. It’s not every day you run into someone who has the potential to live forever, let alone,”—he gazed up at me from underneath his dark lashes—“get the hots for them and discover that they’ll never age.” He picked up another slice of toast, balancing it between his fingers. “And, since there are two of them, one smokin’ hot and one so not,” he chuckled while I rolled my eyes and cracked a smile, “you’d think they would be able to do the same things.”
“Yeah. Really,” I agreed, finishing my eggs and pushing my plate aside.
“Are you two about ready to go outside?” Kiera asked as she bounced into the room.
“I’m sitting this one out,” Jeremy said, sliding his chair away from the table and stacking his empty plate on mine as he got up. “There’s a game on.” He grabbed the plates and headed over to the sink. “Besides, all I seem to do is distract Allie,” he added, lowering the dishes into the sink.
“Okay, suit yourself.” Kiera placed her hand on her hip. “Allie, you ready?”
That was the first time since she’d walked back into the room that I noticed what she was wearing. “Are those my clothes?” My eyes studied the jean shorts and white tank top she had on.
“Um…yeah…” She hesitated, then bit her lower lip. “I didn’t think you would mind. Especially since I have nothing else to wear. And Jeremy’s clothes are a little too big, and, well, not exactly my style.”
“No—it’s okay. Really. They look good on you.” Too good. Why did she have to be so perfect?
She flipped her dark curls over her shoulder. Her cheeks tinted red over her smooth porcelain face as her lips stretched into a slight smile. “Are you ready to go outside, or what?” she asked, attempting to escape her embarrassment.
“Let’s go,” I said. I made my way to the back door and out into the yard, with Kiera on my heels.
At the pond, I closed my eyes and let Kiera guide me through another session of meditation. It was hot. Too hot to be standing outside. But even as my purple tee and cut-off jeans clung to my body, I knew this was the safest place for me to practice. Safer for everyone. Besides, Jeremy would probably get upset if I broke the TV and disrupted his game.
“Focus, Allie,” Kiera said to me. Even though she wasn’t that powerful, she could still pick up on my energy.
“I’m trying,” I whined, wishing there was a way to escape the heat and the voice in my head that kept telling me that this wasn’t going to work.
“The faster we accomplish this, the faster we’ll be able to go back inside where it’s cool. And if you’re able to pull this off, the faster you’ll be able to be with Ethan.”
She had a point. I had to make this work this time, had to push away all my fears. My fear of Jeremy getting hurt, my fear of failing. It had to end now. If not, I would be stuck in this void forever.
My body relaxed to the sound of rippling waves in the water. All my anxiety slowly faded away.
“This time, instead of picturing a ball of air, I want you to imagine a doorway. Any doorway will do for now.”
So, I did. I resurrected the memory of the portal in the pantry before Marcus closed it. I took myself away from the present and placed myself in the past. Looking past the men I hated so much, I locked onto the spinning, sparkling gray mass of energy in the doorway. I saw it in my mind, in front of me, next to the pond. I reached my hand out, imagining the tingle, the heat, and every single particle used to manifest this tremendous flow of energy.
The energy around me absorbed into mine. I was doing it; I was pulling it all in. The hard part was trying to even it all out, not let it get out of control…
“Allie, stop!” The urgency in Kiera’s voice caused me to open my eyes. Before I could grasp it, the door began to fade away.
“No—no! I almost had it!” Tears welled up in my eyes. I was so close to finding Ethan. Everything I had worked so hard to accomplish was slipping away.
“Allie.” Kiera’s voice held urgency.
“What?” I whipped my head around only to see that her deep eyes were now wide with fear.
“Something’s wrong.” Her voice was crackly and hoarse. “Can’t you feel it? It’s in the air.”
She was right. The air had changed. It was no longer peaceful. There was a bad energy here—a disturbance, a heaviness. Something was wrong.
“Jeremy,” I gasped. I swung my body around, away from the sparkles dancing in the deteriorating doorway. My legs couldn’t seem to move fast enough as I raced toward the house.
The closer I got to the back door, the heavier the air became. I prayed Jeremy was okay. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to him.
Chapter 19
I burst through the door, not breaking my pace, and rushed into the living room. The TV was still on—the game Jeremy couldn’t wait to see. The Phillies, his favorite team, were up three to one against the Boston Red Sox. Jeremy should have been on the edge of the sofa, hands in the air, smile on his face, anticipating another home run. Except he wasn’t there.
Fear surfed through my veins, my heart pounded like a jackhammer, and my mind went completely blank. I couldn’t sense his presence anywhere. The energy in the house was too thick; it was like maneuvering through a heavy fog with zero visibility.
“I’ll check downstairs—you take the upstairs,” Kiera shouted from behind.
I didn’t hesitate, didn’t even think about questioning her as I took off through the hall.
My feet scaled the steps two at a time, my breath coming in short, shallow gasps, until I reached the top. Something or someone was up here. I could feel it. But I didn’t let that slow me down as I began searching through the rooms. I went through every doorway, every closet, and even checked underneath the beds. I darted out of the next to the last room, with only one more to go.
Even though I hadn’t been in the room Ethan and I shared since he’d been taken, I didn’t let my feelings deter my search for Jeremy as I rushed into the doorway. The maroon comforter was still discombobulated on the bed. My memories of that perfect night turned nightmarish as flashbacks of reality went in and out of my head.
I squeezed my eyes shut as I bypassed the bed. When I reached our closet, I tore open the doors. There was nothing here except our clothes. I didn’t understand it. Where could Jeremy be? What had happened while Kiera and I were outside?
“Sorry, sweetheart.” A smooth, musical, and very male voice sounded from behind me. “You’re not going to find what you’re looking for up here.”
My body turned to ice as a chill ran down my spine. I turned around and gazed through narrowed eyes at the man. He leaned casually against the door, the same smirk planted on his face as the last time I had seen him. Same black boots, black pants and black tee, same smooth pale skin and curly dark hair. Should I try to escape him, or should I try to find something hard to smash against his face? “Tobias,” I said, playing for time.
“Ah…I see you know who I am.” His smirk widened into a grin, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. His eyebrows knitted together while I stood in front of him motionless—still undecided on what I should do. “Never mind that for now.” He shook his head and propped his arm up against the doorjamb. “Let’s say you and I play a little game.”
“What makes you think I want to do anything that involves you?” I was definitely leaning more toward the idea of smashing him in the face with something hard.
“Because, Allie, Jeremy’s life may depend on it.”
My entire body went numb while my cheeks burned under my skin at the sound of Jeremy’s name. This is what I had been trying to avoid. I knew something would end up happening to him.
“Allie!” Kiera’s voice came from somewhere downstairs. “I found him!”
Tobias’s jaw tightened. “I am so tired of these little half breeds ruining my fun.” He cut his gaze to the door, briefly dir
ecting his attention away from me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining a force manifesting in the palms of my hands. A force strong enough to throw him off his feet. I opened my eyes and threw my hands out in front of me just as he turned around. To his and my surprise, he slammed up against the door, knocking it from its hinges. Both fell backward onto the hall floor.
I dashed around him and the door, my sneakers squeaking over the hardwood floor, determined not only to make it to the stairs, but also to Jeremy. He was my only priority.
“Kiera, where are you?” I stood at the top of the steps, my arms and legs shaking, waiting for her voice.
“Right below you—next to the stairs,” she cried out. “Hurry, something’s wrong with Jeremy!”
I ran, my shoes clump-clump-clumping down the stairs. Halfway down, something slammed into my back, knocking the breath out of me and pushing me forward. My knees buckled, and instead of seeing the floor at the bottom, all I saw were wooden steps coming toward my face. I stuck my hands out to catch myself, but it was too late. My rag doll body bounced off the wood as the room turned cartwheels around me, twisting upside down and sideways, until I was on the floor, staring at the ceiling. My body felt as if dozens of spiky nails had jabbed and pierced me under my skin, and my head felt like a balloon filled with way too much air. It could burst at any minute. But nothing could stop me from finding Jeremy.
I turned my head and spotted Kiera. She sat on the floor, eyes wide and face ghostly white, cradling Jeremy’s head in her hands. His eyes were closed and his body was unmoving. The only sign of life was the rise and fall of his chest. But his breathing was shallow.
I couldn’t lay there and let him die. There had to be a way to save him.
“Well, well, well, I see the gang’s all here,” Tobias said, sounding like a group therapy counselor greeting his weekly patients. His clunky black boots stopped short of the last step as his eyes darted back and forth between Kiera and me.
“Tobias.” Kiera’s arms tightened around Jeremy’s neck.
“Ah, yes. Kiera. We were just talking about you.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “Allie and I were about to play a little game of hide-and-seek. But, unfortunately, you had to ruin that for us by already finding the boy.” He wrapped his fingers around the railing. “But of course, you and Ethan tend to ruin everything, don’t you?” His eyes burned into her, his knuckles white from squeezing the banister so hard.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she snapped back, refusing to let go of Jeremy.
I watched as they argued back and forth, knowing there had to be a way to help Jeremy and Kiera. I propped myself up with my arms and tried to relax my aching body, forcing myself to focus on the energy around the room as they continued to talk.
“Just because you were lucky enough to gain immortality doesn’t mean you’re a true Asterian. In my eyes, you’ll always be one of them. And they destroyed my life,” he snarled, eyes blazing. “I hate them all.”
“But why?” I challenged. “Mortals are weak. How could any of them destroy your life? You’re immortal. Powerful.”
He turned to me, his face full of fury. “Mortals are weak, yes. But destructive, all the same. A couple of years ago, I met a mortal woman, the daughter of an extremely rich and powerful man. A man willing to take me in under his wing and build me up in society. If I married this girl, I would have had a new life, one away from Asteria and away from the expectations my father had for me. A life with power. I would have been important.”
Tobias shook his head. “For two years I gave this woman everything. My money. My heart. On the day we were set to be married, I found her in the stables with the stable hand. Naked. I killed them both.”
Kiera’s eyes widened at the word killed.
My stomach churned. This guy was freaking nuts. If he had managed to kill two people, then I knew for a fact he would have no problem getting rid of the three of us. The thought of what could become of us had made me concentrating harder to pull in the energy around me as Tobias continued to ramble.
“I couldn’t stand the thought of other mortals being turned immortal, like us. Couldn’t stand the thought that half breeds would be in Asteria. I had to find a way to keep half breeds out of Asteria, so I told my father that the Darkness had coalesced. That it was just days away from finding a way in by using immortals. My father agreed to close the portals and called for all Asterians in the mortal realm to come home before the portals were sealed for good. But then he found out his precious Ethan had decided not to come back to Asteria,” he spat, his pale face tinting an orange-red as he glowered at us. “Ethan, that precious mortal my sister Azzera had saved. That half breed.”
“Half breeds in Asteria isn’t what this is all about, though, is it?” Kiera kept her voice low, her eyes drifting down to Jeremy, then back up to Tobias.
“That is precisely what it’s about.” Tobias took a step closer to me. “Ethan—you! He changed you into an immortal, and he’ll change her, too.” He spoke through his teeth as he pointed his finger at me. “And you’ll change that boy as well. I’m no fool, Kiera. I’m only here to end what should have never started. Mortals are heartless—worthless—and your people are the reason I am the way I am today. I refuse to let these two be granted immortality, or to let you or any other half breed to step foot into Asteria again after your kind ruined my life.”
I sat all the way up on the floor, but I was still unable to stand.
“It’s jealousy, Tobias. You’re not fooling anyone.” Kiera smiled smugly. “You’re pissed because you believe your father favors Ethan over you. A half breed over his own flesh and blood son. And that burns you to the core.”
“Shut up!” He raised his hand toward Jeremy.
My heart crashed into my ribs. “No—he has nothing to do with this!” I yelled. “If you want to kill someone, kill me. It’s me you’re after, right? Because, if you kill me, you know it will destroy Ethan, make him weak.”
“I told you, this boy is a part of this, Allie,” he said, his dark eyes on mine. “I’m preventing another mortal from changing over.” His jaw tightened. “And besides, I do plan to kill you. And I won’t fail this time.”
“This time—what are you talking about?” I squinted at him, suddenly confused.
“Your schoolmates, they were,”—he leaned up against the banister— “so much harder to control than the ghost in the tunnel.”
“You mean…” I hesitated, realizing for the first time that all this was connected—Becca, Aaron, the tunnel—all part of his game to seek revenge on Ethan.
“Yes, all of it was me. I was playing the role of Darkness. I even attempted to take over your body in the woods, but you were too powerful.” The edges of his lips lifted. “But that girl almost had you the last time. If I’d had a chair, I would have been sitting on the edge of it. Pretty good beating she gave you, if I say so myself. But, like every other time, Ethan,”—his smile faded—“had to come to your rescue.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Tobias had been following me around the entire time. Why hadn’t I been able to pick up on it? Why hadn’t Ethan?
“So, enough with the chitchat. Let’s forget about the game of hide-and-seek and play tag instead.” He chuckled cruelly. “I’m it! You guys better run! Oh, that’s right, you can’t. It just makes things easier for me.” He shrugged and stood up on the stairs, then raised his hand to Kiera, knocking her away from Jeremy and up against the wall as he said, “Tag, you’re it.”
Before he could turn in my direction, I gathered up enough energy to form a ball and hurl it at him. The energy slammed into him and he fell backward, smacking his head against the wooden steps.
I flipped over onto my knees, every joint screaming in agony, and crawled my way to Kiera. I had to get her up. I needed her help to take Tobias down. “Kiera,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Get up. We’ve got to save Jeremy.”
Her eyelids fluttered and she sl
owly opened her eyes. “Allie,” she moaned. “Do everything you can to protect him.” She pushed herself away from the wall. “I’ll take care of Tobias.”
“No—you can’t fight him yourself. He’s too strong.”
“I have to,” Kiera argued. “If we leave Jeremy, he’s going to be the target. He’s our weakness, and Tobias knows that.”
“Neither of us will leave Jeremy. Make sure he’s still breathing, try to bring him back. I’ll shield you.” Never in a billion years did I think I would be saying something like this to anyone. I’d always thought of my powers as a curse, but now they could be the only thing that would save my best friend.
Kiera and I moved over to Jeremy. She squatted next to him while I stood in front of them both. My body stiffened, refusing to move, as Tobias sprang to his feet.
“You know,” he said, scowling, seemingly unharmed from his fall, “I’m growing tired of this game. You are becoming very annoying for a mortal. Not that most of them aren’t annoying.”
“Jeremy’s pulse is fading,” Kiera whispered urgently. “I think we’re losing him.”
“No—Kiera, do whatever you can to keep him alive,” I snapped, not moving my eyes from Tobias.
“Not if I can help it.” Tobias sneered, stepping forward. “It’s bad enough I’m attempting to rid both worlds of a half breed. The last thing I need is two more.” His deep eyes widened, and before I had a chance to realize what he was doing, he’d tossed me across the room and into the far wall, away from the others, leaving them wide open for an attack.
My head smacked the wall, then my body slid down the length of it to the floor. I opened my eyes to see Kiera standing in front of Jeremy, her hands out, attempting to fight back. Her power wasn’t even enough to send a jolt through his body, much less faze him.
Tobias grasped her arm and lifted her body high. She kicked and screamed, but he only laughed and tightened his grip. He reached his other hand around, locking it on her throat. His jaw tightened, his forehead creased, as Kiera’s screams cut off. Then her beautiful pale face tinted blue, her legs dangled in the air. The hand gripping her neck was glowing, sort of like the orb Ethan had manifested in his car. Could it be possible Tobias was draining her energy? Whatever he was doing, he was killing her.
Other Side Of Forever (Other Side Of Forever Series Book 1) Page 18
